Full-face mask

ABSTRACT

A full-face mask, including a mask body, a breathing tube, an unfolded isolation support portion, at least one intake valve and at least one isolation plate, is provided. The mask body fits an user&#39;s face via a soft portion to form an interior space. The breathing tube is disposed on the mask body and is connecting with the interior space. The unfolded isolation support portion is disposed in the inner space and completely fits and covers the cheeks and the nose of the user to define an upper space and a lower space. At least one intake valve is disposed on the unfolded isolation support portion. A guide plate is disposed in a channel. Thus, the user could effectively breathe and exhale the air, and could isolate the face from the water leaking into the full mask to avoid danger.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a full-face mask for underwater activities. In particular, it provides a full-face mask for snorkeling which can improve safety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

For a long time, breathing equipments used for underwater activities all adopt a design in which a mask is separated from the breathing tube, wherein the mask covers the eyes and the nose with an airtight design. The breathing tube is nipped by the mouth forcing the user to inhale/exhale air therethrough. In other words, this kind of breathing equipment for underwater activities will comprise at least two portions, i.e., a “mask” and a “breathing tube”, which may be cumbersome to carry. Moreover, the fixed relationship between the two portions should be taken into consideration, so the wearing thereof is also time-consuming Additionally, for use, it is necessary to change the habit of breathing through the mouth and the nose into compulsory breathing through the mouth, which could only be achieved through training Especially when water accidentally enters the mask or the breathing tube, the nose or the mouth needs to compulsorily exhale to drain the water away, or the breathing tube needs to be taken off to clear water and be then nipped again by the mouth. These actions are quite complicated for users and it is not easy for users to adapt to these actions. For beginners or people who are afraid of water, these actions are more difficult, which increases the chance of inhaling water, has poor safety, and greatly reduces the fun of leisure activities.

In order to solve the above problems, in recent years, a design that combines the mask and the breathing tube into a single device has emerged. The principle of the design is that when the mask is worn, it covers the eyes, the nose and the mouth of the user at the same time so that the eyes, the nose and the mouth are completely isolated from the outside. The breathing tube is directly arranged on the mask body and extends upwards. Because the components are simplified and convenient to carry and the nose and the mouth are all in the same space in the mask, the user can naturally breathe with the nose or the mouth, which is close to the breathing habit in general life.

On the other hand, the inhaled and exhaled gases are all exchanged with the air outside through the breathing tube at the upper end of the mask, and the water entering the mask is easily discharged through the mouth/nose of the user. As a result, the user does not need to consider whether the water should be discharged by the mouth or the nasal cavity, and the psychological pressure in use is greatly reduced. For beginners or users who are afraid of water, the acceptance degree is greatly improved. Because the theoretical safety is expected to be improved, such a design is widely welcomed by the snorkeling masses.

This kind of full-face mask that covers the eyes, the nose and the mouth of the user at the same time has a good design conception. However, since the mouth and the nose are in the same space, carbon dioxide can easily accumulate and cause dizziness and fainting or the user may hyperventilate due to anxiety caused by water accumulation in the mask or the like, if the channel for the inhaled/exhaled gas is not smooth, the ability to block water inflow is not good, and the drainage design is not stable. This is worse than the risks of the design with separate parts. The reason is that when the user feels unable to inhale air due to the excessive accumulation of carbon dioxide in the mask or a large amount of water enters in the mask under the water surface, the user cannot breathe purely through the breathing tube and release the mask to discharge the water as in the use of the mask with the separate design. If the user encounters the above-mentioned conditions when wearing the full-face mask, the user may face the fate of drowning whether the user continues to wear the mask or completely removes the mask, which is quite dangerous. The following two news about the drowning of users highlight the hidden hazards in the design of full-face masks: 1. “Snorkeling Safety and the New Potential Hazards of Full-Face Snorkel Masks” (https.//snorkelstore.net/snorkeling-safety-new-potential-hazards-full-face-snorkel-masks); and “Recent snorkel deaths prompts investigation into full-faced snorkel masks” http://www.ktvu.com/news/recent-snorkel-deaths-prompts-investigation-into-full-faced-snorkel-masks).

The design defects causing the above risks are very subtle. Only very experienced designers can know a little about them after repeated tests. Common consumers have no ability to distinguish these design defects when buying the masks until it is too late when danger occurs in use. The design flaws of such masks are described in detail as follows:

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the conventional full-face mask 100 is provided with an isolation portion 110 in an interior space thereof and two air passages 116 annularly arranged at the left and right sides of the full-face mask. The isolation portion 110 is used to define an upper space 112 (also known as the eye space) and a lower space 114 (also known as the nose and mouth space), while the two air passages 116 are used for gas communication between the breathing tube (not shown) and the lower space 114.

This design officially announces that the circulation path of the gas is as follows: a) the fresh air inhaled from the upper breathing tube flows through the upper space 112, and then flows into the lower space 114 through isolation portion one-way valves 120 at two sides of the isolation portion 110 for oral and nasal inhalation; b) the exhaust gas exhaled from the mouth and the nose is discharged from the lower portion of the full-face mask 100 to lateral one-way valves 140 and the breathing tube at the upper end through the two air passages 116 annularly arranged on the left and right sides of the full-face mask 100, and then discharged to the outside.

In addition, the conventional full-face mask 100 also asserts that when water enters the mask and accumulates in the lower space 114 of the mask, the user only needs to exhale deeply, and then the pressure inside the mask can be increased to discharge the accumulated water from a one-way valve 130 at the mouth portion disposed below the lower space 114.

This seemingly reasonable theoretical design actually hides great flaws. Specifically, the isolation portions 110 of the conventional full-face masks 100 all have a reflex design in consideration of a simple manufacturing process, wide adaptation to face shapes, and wearing comfort. However, this design cannot be completely fit or cover the cheeks and the nose of the user. That is, when such a full-face mask is worn, many gaps will be formed between the isolation portion 110 and the cheeks and the nose of the user. Due to the existence of these gaps, the inhaled/exhaled gas will not flow according to the originally envisaged path (i.e., the clean air enters the lower space 114 from the upper space 112 and through the isolation portion one-way valves 120 of the isolation portion 110. The exhaled exhaust gas all travels upward through the air passages 116 to the breathing tube and the lateral one-way valves 140 to be discharged. Actually, the clean air is more likely to flow directly into the lower space 114 through the gaps to be inhaled by the nose and the mouth; and correspondingly, the exhaust gas exhaled from the mouth and the nose is also more likely to flow back to the upper space 112 from the gaps to be discharged from the breathing tube.

Such air flow makes the isolation portion one-way valves 120 arranged at the two sides of the isolation portion 110 actually inoperative, because the opening of the isolation portion one-way valves 120 needs a certain airflow rate. When the clean air can enter the lower space 114 through the above gaps, naturally there is no enough flowrate to open the isolation portion one-way valves 120, which makes the isolation portion one-way valves 120 useless and ineffective. Similarly, the exhaust gas in the lower space 114 will naturally choose a shorter path, and flow directly to the upper space 112 through the gaps nearby and then be discharged instead of selecting the air passages 116 with a longer path. This is a natural phenomenon of fluid traveling. Therefore, the design of the air passages also seems to be redundant and does not achieve the expected effects.

The actual gas circulation path constructed by the above-mentioned conventional full-face mask 100 is quite different from the expected theory. That is, theoretically, the clean air inhaled by the user and the exhaust gas exhaled by the user are expected to travel through specific paths. However, due to the gaps between the isolation portion 110 and the user's face, the clean air enters through the gaps. As a result, the isolation portion one-way valve 120 on the isolation portion 110 cannot be opened or cannot be completely opened. The amount of clean air entering the nose and the mouth is naturally insufficient. The user naturally feels that the inhalation is not smooth. In addition, in the case where the air intake is insufficient, the exhaust gas exhaled is mostly discharged through the gaps. When water accumulates in the mask, the user wishes to discharge the accumulated water from the one-way valve 130 at the mouth portion below the mask by exhaling deeply, but the effect of discharging the water is greatly reduced due to air leakage. Thus, the danger of inhaling water or hyperventilating due to anxiety is likely to occur because the water cannot be discharged in time. The result of insufficient air intake and inability to discharge water indeed is a serious threat to life safety.

In addition, the kind of full-face masks that use the one-piece design of eyes, the nose and the mouth to reduce the breathing skills required for underwater use, have has resulted in wide application by various age groups. However, this has caused many fatal accidents in recent years. Starting from 2019, based on security supervision, the European Union (EU) has imposed a mandatory provision that a CE certification complying with the requirements of the new regulation (EU) 2016/425 must be provided for respiratory products before the products can be sold in the EU region, wherein EN 136: 1998 is a standard made by EU for the performance, testing modes and labeling of full-face masks. It is especially important that in the test mode of EN 136: 1998, the full-face diving mask shall be tested at 50 RMV (respiratory volume ratio) and under the conditions that the drain valve on the mask is opened/closed respectively, and the test result of the mask needs to conform to the condition that the carbon dioxide content of the inhaled air (dead space) should not exceed 1% on average. That is, when the full-face diving mask is used in water, enough clean air must be brought in when the user inhales so that a higher amount of oxygen can fully enter the mask; and when the user exhales, dirty air can be really and effectively discharged to the outside of the mask so that carbon dioxide does not remain in the mask. Only in this way can the mask passes the test standard to ensure that the user can safely breathe in the dead space without being in danger under water.

However, as mentioned above, the conventional full-face masks have a number of technically fatal designs (i.e., the actual gas circulation path is obviously different from what is expected in theory, and thus, the intake of clean air and the discharge of carbon dioxide fail to meet the standard), so it is almost impossible for these masks to pass the EN 136: 1998 test standard. These fatal designs belong to potential hazards and consumers have no ability to find technical defects from the appearance of the masks. Therefore, it is especially important to introduce the EN 136: 1998 standard certification for the product.

Accordingly, providing a full-face mask that meets various safety standards has become an urgent need in the art at present, and it is also a special emphasis of the present invention.

CONTENTS OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a full-face mask that meets various safety standards.

To achieve the aforesaid objective, a full-face mask according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a mask body, a breathing tube, an unfolded isolation support portion and at least one intake valve. The mask body fits a user's face via a soft portion to form an interior space. The breathing tube is disposed on the mask body and is connected with the interior space so that the user can inhale/exhale air through the breathing tube. The unfolded isolation support portion is disposed in the interior space so that the interior space defines an upper space and a lower space, and the lower space is connected with the breathing tube. The at least one intake valve is disposed on the unfolded isolation support portion.

To achieve the aforesaid objective, a full-face mask according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a mask body, a breathing tube, an unfolded isolation support portion and at least one intake valve. The mask body comprises a lens portion and a soft portion connected to each other. The soft portion fits the face of a user and forms an interior space. The breathing tube is arranged on the mask body and is connected with the interior space. The unfolded isolation support portion is arranged in the interior space so that the interior space defines an upper space and a lower space. The lower space is connected with the breathing tube. The at least one intake valve is arranged on the unfolded isolation support portion. A channel is defined at the junction of the lens portion and the soft portion. The channel comprises a guide plate to prevent the circulation of gas flowing from a lower end of the channel to the breathing tube.

In an embodiment, the full-face mask of the present invention further comprises a first isolation plate disposed in the lower space so that the lower space defines a proximal space and a distal space. The proximal space is close to the nose of the user.

In an embodiment, the first isolation plate of the full-face mask of the present invention further comprises a one-way valve for discharging exhaust gas exhaled by the user.

In an embodiment, the lens portion of the full-face mask of the present invention further comprises a diversion port connected with the distal space.

In an embodiment, the soft portion of the full-face mask of the present invention further comprises a stopper piece which covers the diversion port.

The detailed technology and preferred embodiments implemented for the subject invention are described in the following paragraphs accompanying the appended drawings for people skilled in this field to well appreciate the features of the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a full-face mask of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a full-face mask according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of an unfolded isolation support portion of the full-face mask according to the present invention;

FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D are schematic cross-sectional views of the unfolded isolation support portion of FIG. 3 taken along lines B-B, C-C, D-D, and E-E in sequence;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the full-face mask taken along the line A-A;

FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded view of the full-face mask of FIG. 5 including a frame and an outer cover;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a lens portion of the full-face mask of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the full-face mask of FIG. 5 in which the lens portion is connected with a soft portion;

FIG. 9 is a schematic exploded view of the full-face mask according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic combined view of the full-face mask of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating the flow path of the airflow in the channel of the full-face mask according to the present invention when the user exhales; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating the inhalation, exhalation and drainage directions of the full-face mask of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 2, a full-face mask 200 disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention is adapted to be worn on the user's face and comprises a mask body 210, a breathing tube 220, an unfolded isolation support portion 230 and at least one intake valve 241.

The mask body 210 comprises a soft portion 214 and a lens portion 216 connected to each other. The mask body 210 fits a user's face via the soft portion 214 (or called “a skirt portion”) provided on the periphery of the lens portion 216, and the mask body 210 forms an interior space 212. The breathing tube 220 is disposed above the mask body 210 and is connected with the interior space 212 so that the user can inhale/exhale air through the breathing tube. The unfolded isolation support portion 230 is disposed in the interior space 212 so that the interior space 212 defines an upper space 232 and a lower space 234. A front side 2301 of the unfolded isolation support portion 230 may be fixed (indirectly or directly) with the inner side of the lens portion 216. The rear side 2302 of the unfolded isolation support portion 230 is backwards and faces the user's face (which is forwards and faces the lens portion 216). The rear side 2302 of the unfolded isolation support portion 230 can directly contact the user's face, thereby, fitting the user's cheek and covering the nose area of the user (approximately from the bridge of nose to the cheeks on both sides of the mouth).

Since there are many gaps between the isolation portion 110 used in the conventional full-face mask 100 and the cheek and the nose of the user, air easily flows directly into the lower space 114 through the gaps when the user inhales, and thus, the isolation portion one-way valve 120 is almost in a closed state for a long time. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the unfolded isolation support portion 230 may completely fit the user's cheek and cover the nose area of the user so that there is no gap between the unfolded isolation support portion 230 and the cheeks and the nose of the user. An upper space 232 (also known as the eye space) and a lower space 234 (also known as the nose and mouth space) that are indeed separated and defined. In detail, as shown in FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D, the unfolded isolation support portion 230 may be preferably disposed to have an inward curl close to the bridge of nose. The inward curl may extend by at most 1 cm inward (towards the lower space 234) (FIG. 4A) to closely fit the bridge of nose. The unfolded isolation support portion 230 extending downwards away from the bridge of nose does not curl inward (FIG. 4B). The unfolded isolation support portion 230 has an outward curl at the portion close to the cheeks on both sides of the mouth. The outward curl extends by at most 1 cm outward (towards the upper space 232) (FIG. 4C and FIG. 4D) to provide good support so that the mask is less likely to collapse. In this way, when the user inhales, the at least one intake valve 241 provided on the unfolded isolation support portion 230 will be easily forced to open because the pressure in the nose and mouth space is indeed reduced without air leakage, and the exhaust gas exhaled by the nose and the mouth will not flow back through the gaps and accumulate in the internal space 212.

As shown in FIG. 5, which is a partial and schematic cross-sectional view of the full-face mask 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention taken along the line A-A, the at least one intake valve 241 is disposed on the unfolded isolation support portion 230, e.g., the at least one intake valve 241 may be symmetrically disposed on the unfolded isolation support portion 230 at the left and right sides of the nose area of the user.

With reference to FIG. 6 together, the lower space 234 of the full-face mask 200 may further comprise at least one one-way valve, which may for example be an upper exhaust valve 252 and a lower drain valve 254. The upper exhaust valve 252 and the lower drain valve 254 may be respectively inclined at different angles so that when there is accumulated water, the accumulated water may be optionally discharged by the most suitable valve according to the turning angle of the user's head. If there is only a small amount of accumulated water, then the accumulated water may be easily discharged from the lower drain valve 254 to the outside before the water is accumulated to the height of the upper exhaust valve 252. At this time, the upper exhaust valve 252 is specifically responsible for discharging the exhaust gas exhaled by the user so that the efficiency of discharging water and gas is further improved. The use of the mask is smoother and easier without the pressure of inhaling water, and the safety and fun of snorkeling may be naturally improved.

The full-face mask 200 may further comprise a first isolation plate 260 disposed in the lower space 234 with a peripheral portion 261. The peripheral portion 261 may be directly or indirectly fixed to the inner side of the lens portion 216 such that the lower space 234 defines a proximal space 235 adjacent to the nose of the user and a distal space 236 remote from the nose of the user.

The mask body 210 may further comprise a frame 218 and an outer cover 219, wherein the frame 218 may be fastened around the lens portion 216 and the soft portion 214 to further protect the lens portion 216. The outer cover 219 is detachably fixed to the lens portion 216 or the frame 218 and preferably shields the region of the lens portion 216 with the upper exhaust valve 252 and the lower drain valve 254 to protect the upper exhaust valve 252 and the lower drain valve 254. If the upper exhaust valve 252 and the lower drain valve 254 have structures that are not easily damaged, the outer cover 219 may not be required. The first isolation plate 260 may be made of a soft material or a hard material, and may also be provided with a one-way valve 256 to discharge exhaust gas exhaled by the user.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lens portion 216 of the full-face mask 200 of this embodiment may further comprise a diversion port 211 located below a guide board 217 extending from the inner side of the lens portion 216. When water W penetrates into the upper space 232 of the full-face mask 200, the water W flows along the inner side of the lens portion 216 or the guide board 217 to the diversion port 211 and flows to the lower drain valve 254 of the lower space 234, and then is discharged to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 8, the soft portion 214 may further comprise a stopper piece 2141. When the soft portion 214 is connected with the lens portion 216, the stopper piece 2141 may cover the diversion port 211 and may be configured to prevent the water W from flowing back to the upper space 232 along the diversion port 211. That is, the stopper piece 2141 may serve as a one-way valve to allow the water W to flow unidirectionally to the lower space 234. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the soft portion 214 and the lens portion 216 may, after connecting with each other, form a channel 213 inside the periphery of the full-face mask 200. The channel 213 has a guide plate 213 a. The guide plate 213 a may be a portion of the lens portion 216 or a portion of the soft portion 214 and is provided at the junction of the channel 213 and the breathing tube 220 to block direct circulation of gas flowing from a lower end of the channel 213 to the breathing tube 220. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, when the exhaust gas C exhaled by the user enters the lower end of the channel 213 from the lower space 234 and then flows to the upper end of the channel 213 and to the breathing tube 220, the guide plate 213 a may prevent the direct circulation of the exhaled gas (the air in the left channel flows directly to the right channel, or vice versa), which would otherwise cause the exhaust gas C (carbon dioxide) to accumulate in the full-face mask 200. In this case, the exhaust gas C cannot be completely discharged, and the user is in danger because the user cannot inhale enough clean air. By the arrangement of the guide plate 213 a, the air from the left channel and the right channel will be blocked and then flow more smoothly and directly to the breathing tube 220 respectively, and then discharged to the outside of the full-face mask 200.

With reference to FIG. 12, the air flow path of the full-face mask 200 of this embodiment will be described as follows:

When the user inhales, the air R may flow into the lower space 234 from the intake valve 241 of the unfolded isolation support portion 230, and thus, enter the nose and the mouth with less effort, so the amount of air (oxygen) inhaled by the user is sufficient. When the user exhales, the intake valve 241 is forced to close, a part of the exhaust gas C flows from the channel 213 to the breathing tube 220 to be discharged, while a part of the exhaust gas C flows from the proximal space 235 to the distal space 236 through the one-way valve 256 of the first isolation plate 260 and then flows to the outside through the upper exhaust valve 252 or the lower drain valve 254. When the water W accidentally flows into the full-face mask 200, due to the arrangement of the first isolation plate 260, the water W penetrating into the interior space 212 may be isolated in the distal space 236 between the lens portion 216 and the first isolation plate 260 and accumulated between the lens 218 and the first isolation plate 260, and will not enter the proximal space 235 to contact the nose and the mouth of the user, thereby avoiding panic and anxiety of the user. When the user exhales, the pressure in the distal space 236 will be increased to discharge the accumulated water from the upper exhaust valve 252 or the lower drain valve 254. Alternatively, due to the weight of the accumulated water, when the user emerges from the water surface, the action of gravity may directly bring the water out from the upper exhaust valve 252 or the lower drain valve 254 (depending on the amount of the accumulated water or the direction of the head) without requiring the user to exhale. Such a design can greatly improve the problems in the prior art that it is difficult for the user to inhale enough clean air (the carbon dioxide content is too high.) and the user get anxious by contacting the accumulated water, and it is applicable no matter during inhalation or exhalation.

According to the above descriptions, the unfolded isolation support portion of the full-face mask of the present invention completely fits and covers the cheeks and the nose of the user, and a guide plate is disposed in the channel so that users can easily inhale clean air, and the exhaust gas can be more effectively discharged from the breathing tube and/or the one-way valve and is less likely to flow back and accumulate, thereby meeting various safety standards. At the same time, a stopper piece or an isolation plate may be further provided to isolate the water accidentally flowing into the full-face mask from the nose and the mouth of the user, thereby preventing the user from contacting the water and thus getting anxious and panic, and increasing the safety in use.

The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof. People skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof. Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   100 full-face mask     -   110 isolation portion     -   112 upper space     -   114 lower space     -   116 air passage     -   120 isolation portion one-way valve     -   130 one-way valve at the mouth portion     -   140 lateral one-way valve     -   200 full-face mask     -   210 mask body     -   211 diversion port     -   212 interior space     -   213 a guide plate     -   214 soft portion     -   2141 stopper piece     -   216 lens portion     -   217 guide board     -   218 frame     -   219 outer cover     -   220 breathing tube     -   230 unfolded isolation support portion     -   2301 front side     -   2302 rear side     -   232 upper space     -   234 lower space     -   235 proximal space     -   236 distal space     -   241 intake valve     -   242 valve latch     -   256 one-way valve     -   252 upper exhaust valve     -   254 lower drain valve     -   260 first isolation plate     -   261 peripheral portion     -   A angle     -   R air     -   C exhaust gas     -   W water 

1. A full-face mask being wearable on a user's face, comprising: a mask body, comprising a lens portion and a soft portion connected to each other, the soft portion fitting the face of the user, and the mask body forming an interior space; a breathing tube, being arranged on the mask body and connected with the interior space; an unfolded isolation support portion, being arranged in the interior space so that the interior space defines an upper space and a lower space, the lower space being connected with the breathing tube; and at least one intake valve, being arranged on the unfolded isolation support portion; wherein a channel is defined at the junction of the lens portion and the soft portion, and the channel comprises a guide plate to prevent the circulation of gas flowing from a lower end of the channel to the breathing tube.
 2. The full-face mask of claim 1, wherein a channel is defined at the junction of the lens portion and the soft portion, and the channel comprises a guide plate to prevent the circulation of gas flowing from a lower end of the channel to the breathing tube.
 3. The full-face mask of claim 1, further comprising a first isolation plate disposed in the lower space so that the lower space defines a proximal space and a distal space, wherein the proximal space is close to a nose of the user.
 4. The full-face mask of claim 3, wherein the first isolation plate further comprises a one-way valve for discharging exhaust gas exhaled by the user.
 5. The full-face mask of claim 1, wherein the lens portion further comprises a diversion port connected with the distal space.
 6. The full-face mask of claim 1, wherein the soft portion further comprises a stopper piece which covers the diversion port. 